Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Had an amazing time this past weekend performing at Soundset in Minneapolis. Got to chill out with a lot of my West Coast homies that I haven't seen in a minute like Rakaa, Evidence and Babu of Dilated Peoples, Shortkut of the Beat Junkies. Plus got to build with the Edan which I haven't seen in about a month and Maseo of De La Soul who I got to share the decks with for the Elements Stage. Soundset is an incredible outdoor festival and it was dope to rock on the same bill with the likes of De La Soul, Big Boi from Outkast, 2Mex and a ton of other people. Here's to a return visit next year!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Finally arrived in Minneapolis for this weekends Soundset. The weather had been iffy prior to today but the forecast for tomorrow's festivities looks to be on point. The lineup is looking crazy for the 3 stages with a who's who of artists set to get it in for the weekend. I'll be sharing the Soundset Essential Elements stage with DJ greats like Shortkut and Maseo (De La Soul), Exile and of course rocking the BC Cypher One. Other acts in attendance that I'm really looking forward to seeing is De La Soul and Dilated Peoples which always give the dope shows.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

If you've been a loyal follower of this blog then you've read my brief introduction a few posts back about a new label that is working extra hard to put out quality releases for your listening pleasure. The label I speak of is Slice of Spice Records and their all set to drop a "Nice" serving of unreleased material from 2001 by DJ / Super producer and Kung Fu flick aficionado Paul Nice ft. Crooklyn Dodger, Masta Ace titled "BK, We Don't Play" and it's definitely a banger. If your a collector of these rare goods like I am then your gonna wanna jump on it before it's gone because in true Slice of Spice fashion this release is limited to 200 individually gold stamped copies pressed on blue vinyl! If you miss out on the limited edition blue vinyl then you can still cop yourself the standard black vinyl pressing but why wait? You'll be extremely pissed if you do, trust me.

The release date is set for 6/24/11.

Check this snippet of this Paul Nice classic.

To purchase this item head on over to their site.http://bkwedontplay.bigcartel.com/

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Seems as if it's been a comic book kind of week. After being reunited with the comic book world for the 100th time over the span of 30 something years I stopped into one of my favorite shops to grab 10 back issues of the Fredy Blast recommended Uncanny X-Force. While there I've seem to have been bitten by the bug again after seeing classic issues on the walls going for top dollar which is the same feeling I get when seeing rare records on the walls. So what do I do you ask, grab a few things that I feel as though I can without which seems to be everything these days. One such thing was the new Planet of the Apes Comic by Boom Studios, I'm a diehard POTA fan of the old films so I had to grab these for nostalgic reasons. Both #1 issues with one being the rarer variant cover.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Seems like it's been a comic book kind of week for me. Maybe that's a sign that I should get back involved, no I think I'll pass on that one. Looks as though another comic has reached a high price tag selling at a cool $300,000, the comic I speak of is non other than the Fantastic Four #1. Grading in at a 9.4 rating with crisp white pages and selling to a private customer. The last recorded price grading at a 9.4 sold for $210,000 and there is only one known higher grading of a 9.6 that has never been up for sale.

One of the things that I always looked at as a kid before buying a comic was who was in the corner section of the cover where the price and authority code was placed. The art changed frequently and it was always a real eye drawer for me. There's actually a "cornered" site dedicated to original art paying homage to classic ones. Large scales of these would definitely make great canvas's for wall art.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

This is part 1 of a two part post that I'm going to do on tape collecting, the first being VHS. Alot of people have asked me about the rare footage that we show at our Hot Peas parties and I don't think they understand the amount of work that goes into putting footage together for these parties. Hot Peas isn't just about the music but also that visuals that connect it all together from a certain era and time. I've been recording on VHS since well, the beginning to be exact so of course I've accumulated a ton of tapes over the years of TV shows, cartoons, movies, commercials, sports and more that you'll probably never see again. Now your probably saying you've got something on a DVD boxset and I'll say I've got it with the original commercials and I've been watching it since they took it off the air while you haven't seen it in 20 years. For me to put footage together I have to comb through hours of footage just to put 2-3 reels together for a 4 to 6 hour party which when you think about it is a long process. After finding the necessary pieces it's all about putting it together so that it looks correct when showing along with the music. Why go through this process? Well because that's what makes a Hot Peas and Butta party unique, special and your not doing it that's why.

There's an art to having footage and watching it on Youtube is not it, having a physical product is more personal and not everyone else will have it, the same applies to having and actual vinyl record versus having an MP3 of a song. Some of the best in the game have crazy collections and the great thing about this inner circle is that NO ONE is giving up copies of ANYTHING to ANYONE. The circle runs deep but tight from people like Biz Markie, DJ Paul Nice, Big Chan, DJ Cash Money, J-Zone all the way up to the more insane collectors of old ball games that only aired once. Now this isn't about being "old" or out of touch but more of having something unique that you mere mortals don't possess.

I don't know how many tapes that I own but you do the math. I was getting movies when pre-records cost $39.95 starting price up $100.00, when there were no corporate chains like Block Buster but only Mom and Pop video rentals, when there was only one cable channel and that was HBO, when I was setting the record timer to capture every TV show and movie that came on 7 days a week. Let's just say that's a whole lot of tape!

*NoteMy homie Fredy Blast takes it a step further by having the most insane collection times 10 on Betamax alone so you can imagine what his VHS collection is right?! You name it we've probably got it plus everything you forgot. That's true Diggin in the tapes!

Quote from Complex Magazine

"We've reported on past Hot Peas & Butta events because they're excellent. Combining classic soul 45s with vintage footage of wonky cartoon shows and forgotten b-flicks is a brilliant idea. Somewhere there are DJs still suffering from anxiety insomnia because they didn't think of it first. They're too afraid to go to sleep because in their dreams they see grainy footage of Godzilla slowly stomping on their hopes and aspirations in time to William Bell's "I Forgot to Be Your Lover."

For years I've read an collected comics but after the late 90's things got a little complicated with keeping up with the crossovers, story lines, change in direction and lack of quality art so I pretty much abandoned it. From time to time I'll peep whats going on but for some reason DJ's have always been comic readers and two such people my homie DJ Renegade from the UK and the Supa Genius Fredy Blast have kept up on what was going on. Recently Blast has put me up on this new book that brings back the excitement of what it used to be like in the 80's and 90's, the new Uncanny X-Force so now it's back to spending a little change on one title a month, I refuse to get sucked back into $50 a month a titles!

If you were 70's kid like myself then you know Bruce Lee changed the world and how fanatic people are with his history right?!

It's been a year long wait for the new 12" Bruce Lee Enter The Dragon figure but it was well worth it. UPS delivered the package yesterday morning and after opening the packaging it's exactly the quality workmanship that I expect to come from Hot Toys. This figure sold out pretty quick and already on Ebay with the BIN pricing as high as $1,050.00, if your lucky you can catch one for about $399 which was the lowest that I had seen. Secondary market is always a killer and I only resort to that when absolutely my last option.

The really crazy part of this whole thing is how much time the put into creating the final fight scenes with Mr. Han in both the room of mirrors and the previous room. In addition they also have the underground prison area done as well.

Looking forward to catching the upcoming Black Dynamite animated series on Cartoon Networks Adult Swim. Hopefully they'll keep it "adult" and not dumb it down. Thinking about this makes me want to watch Afro Samurai on a rainy day like today.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Yup I'm still on my burger quest, only this time I'm getting the gourmet treatment at home. Today is the grand opening of the Sundae party in Philly so instead of me heading out to eat brunch my time was much better spent at home not only getting records together but having a few mini bacon cheese burgers, garlic fries and a salad.

It's been a minute since I've done a party on the regular in Philly but I've started something new called Galaxy High. Every 1st Thursday of the month I'll be playing (all vinyl) Funk, Rock, Soul, Spaced Out Disco, Library and soundtrack grooves at Kung Fu Necktie. Last month's tester proved that Philly needs something like this especially after the place was packed with people enjoying something different for a change. I've brought in Record Breakin family DJ Junior to help take the people on a musical odyssey with me so this should pan out to be a great night.

If you've been following me around the globe then you know I enjoy eating(alot). From tasty burgers and great steak to the simple things in life like pancakes. Esquire has recently released a new book perfect for your coffee table but even more fitting for when it's time to satisfy your craving for meal.

Esquire "Eat Like A Man"

This one’s coming from Esquire’s food editor, Ryan D’Agostino. Eat Like a Man Esquires Eat Like a Man Book is a not just another grill and go guide to putting grub in your belly. It is, as described, “a choice collection of 75 recipes and food writing for men who like to eat, cook, and read about great food. It’s the Esquire man’s repertoire of perfect recipes, essays on how food figures into the moments that define a man’s life, and all the useful kitchen points every man needs to know.” A selection of chefs contributed this man guide to food. Expect French toast, lobster scrambled eggs, and more. It drops May 25 from Chronicle Books.

This past Saturday during the Hot Peas and Butta 3 Year party I had the pleasure of finally meeting someone that I had been following for a minute face to face. The individual that I am speaking of is Richard Smith of the Slice of Spice and now Slice of Spice Records. Richard blessed me with a few promo 7's but the one that I want to speak about most importantly is the limited and individually numbered, white vinyl Damu The Fudgemunk produced "Brooklyn Flower" b/w Yes We Can. Let me start by saying that I was pleasantly surprised when I dropped the needle down to hear what was going on. It's strictly beats, cuts and bites on this one here, something that I haven't had in my hands or heard in my ears in a minute, definitely something for the headnodder.

After speaking with Richard for a while he also informed me about his next upcoming project with the homie Paul Nice for his remix "BK We Don't Play" ft. Masta Ace. This was an unreleased track recorded in 2001 and will see the light of day this June, something else to get excited for!

As with the Damu 7" this upcoming Paul Nice release will also be color vinyl (blue), limited and individually numbered with full color cover. If your going to do it then do it right, spare no expense when it comes to your product and that's exactly what Slice of Spice is doing.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Hot Peas and Butta continues it's Tokyo Soul series this month with a 42nd Street double feature screening of Sonny Chiba's classic The Street Fighter and Sister Street Fighter. As always DJ Kamui and myself spin the deepest of Funk, Soul and Rare Groove 45's for your listening pleasure visuals are being shown. New York City gets another dose of what we call Hot Peas and Butta!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

This is something cool for all of the vintage Coca Cola memorabilia collectors out there. Collecting original items of Cokes history fetches big money on the open market.

In celebration of the iconic brand’s 125th anniversary, Coca-Cola has undertaken the task of reproducing four of its original glass bottle designs. Consisting of the Hutchinson bottle (1899), Straightwall bottle (1900), Samuelson contour bottle (1915) and Historic contour bottle (1916), the set has been packaged in a commemorative wooden crate that’s branded with the signature Coca-Cola logo and will be available for purchase exclusively through Selfridges.

Not fully rested from this past weekends Hot Peas and Butta 3D party but there's no better time then the present time to give you a recap of the event. First let me say thank you to everyone that packed the house for the evening to hear Amir, Monk One, Chairman Mao and myself play tunes for your listening and dancing pleasure. It was especially great to see so many beautiful woman dancing til the end without the need of Top 40 bullshit, good music is good music! Also I would like to thank those and I quote my friend DJ Prestige from Flea Market Funk "DJ / Digging royalty" that swung by for the party. Rapper / DJ Edan, Paul Nice, J Zone, Break Beat Lou (Ultimate Breaks & Beats), Boogie Blind, DJ Emskee, Jay Smooth, Big Chan, K-Prince, DJ Bluewater, M.Fasis and Statik Selektah just to name a few. Plus Hot Peas photographer Michael Beon was on hand to snap pics as well as my man Rez Ones.

Here's a few pics from the evening. (Photos by Michael Beon)

Photo By Rez Ones

For more great photos go to www.krausphade.com

And for a great recap from a different perspective check out www.fleamarketfunk.com

Thursday, May 5, 2011

As we count down the hours to the Hot Peas and Butta 3D 3 year anniversary party we take a look back at a few other 3D posters of yesteryear. If your in New York this weekend be sure to swing by to help us celebrate our anniversary in a very special way, in 3D! And remember we'll be showing our usual selection of rare footage, some in 3D and if you amongst the first 100 people you'll receive old skool 3D glasses tucked inside a goodie bag with other cool sh*t!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Happy Birthday to Soul Brother #1 James Brown, the original Bboy, creator of the funk. We've been holding onto this mix for the last few months just to release it on Mr. Please Please himself's Birthday. This is a live recording from the Hot Peas and Butta 8th Wonder JB Tribute party held back in January with guest DJ Cosmo Baker. You can really feel the vibe of the packed house as Cosmo goes in head first. Enjoy!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Spent the day putting footage together and going through my stash of posters and pulled out this gem. Dynasty was a Kung Fu flick that came out back in the 70's and was in 3D so it seems only fitting that in addition to the other rare footage we'll be showing we're gonna screen the entire film as well, get those 3D glasses ready!

The clock is ticking and Saturday is almost here for us to get extra funky sonically on 45rpm and visually in superior 3D. Hot Peas and Butta celebrates is 3 year anniversary and we've brought on a couple of our favorite DJ's to help us celebrate, Chairman Mao (Bump Shop / Ego Trip) and Monk One (Wax Poetics). In addition to our selectors for the evening we will be show rare video footage as usual, some in 3D!

As an added bonus we've teamed up with our sponsors to giveaway 100 goodie bags to the first 100 people. In the bag will be various items, one being a limited edition signed anniversary poster by The Elroy Jenkins. The poster will be in 3D and yes there will be old school 3D glasses included! The poster will be perfect for framing and display, just an extra thanks from us a Hot Peas and Butta for rocking out with us over the last 3 years.

Even though MPLS isn't known for it's BBQ they do have a place that serves up a nice portion of what I love so much when I hit Houston Texas.

While in Minneapolis last week the homie King Otto took us to a unique spot, not only for its BBQ but also for it's classic movie themed setting. Rudolph's named after Rudolph Vanlentino has the walls lined with classic movie posters, lobby cards and other memorabilia from Gone with the wind to James Bond and everything in between.